Cardinals elevate RB Michael Carter, OL Jackson Barton ahead of must-win Panthers game
Dec 21, 2024, 3:34 PM | Updated: 3:38 pm
The Arizona Cardinals brought up running back Michael Carter and offensive lineman Jackson Barton to the active roster one day before their critical road game against the Carolina Panthers.
The two moves help address a couple of deficiencies, after offensive tackle Paris Johnson (knee) and running back Trey Benson (ankle) were ruled out for Sunday.
Arizona’s rushing room is also down Emari Demercado, who was placed on injured reserve last Saturday with back injury.
Carter will line up behind undisputed starter James Conner and most likely share a load with DeeJay Dallas, though he is questionable with an illness as of Friday.
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The 5-foot-8 running back has not logged a snap this season but appeared in six games for the Cardinals in 2023 after being acquired from the New York Jets. He had 22 carries for 149 yards and caught nine balls (11 targets) for 33 yards and a touchdown.
Carter was taken in the fourth round (No. 107) by the Jets in the 2021 NFL Draft. He registered 110-plus carries in his first two seasons but lost out on a fuller workload with the arrival of Breece Hall in 2022, who had 223 carries, 994 yards and nine total touchdowns as a dual threat in the passing game (76 catches and 591 yards).
Barton, a 2019 seventh-rounder, has seen action in two games (one start on Sept. 22 versus the Detroit Lions) this season and has been off and on the Cardinals roster since being acquired from the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023. Against the Lions, the 6-foot-7, 302-pounder logged 48 snaps at right tackle and only allowed one quarterback hit and two pressures. In his only other game, Barton saw six snaps at left tackle with the outcome already decided, 41-10, in the Cardinals’ favor.
The 29-year-old, who played his college ball at Utah, also appeared in all three preseason games in 2024 after he signed a future contract with Arizona in January.
Christian Jones, a fifth-round pick by the Cardinals this previous draft, is listed as the team’s second option behind Johnson. He has yet to make his NFL debut.
Follow Cardinals-Panthers on Sunday at 11 a.m. on 98.7, ArizonaSports.com and the Arizona Sports app. Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 a.m.
